How is he right in front of me?!
Hiruzen's heart skipped a beat. He had been so focused on fending off the persistent Moon Shadows that he'd forgotten the most dangerous threat: Hoshiyomi's real body.
Though his blade was still sheathed, Hoshiyomi now radiated an overwhelming, condensed force—coiled and ready to strike. This was a true killing blow.
And in that instant, Hiruzen realized—it was too late to use Body Flicker. There wasn't enough time.
Was he going to have to take the hit head-on?
No... there was one last option.
A flicker of realization sparked in his eyes. He called out urgently,
"Enma! Extend the staff—disrupt his draw!"
Enma, understanding the gravity of the moment, didn't waste time replying. He instantly stretched his transformed body toward Hoshiyomi, just as before, aiming to knock him away.
But Hoshiyomi wasn't falling for the same trick twice.
Secret Skill: Flash of the Heavenly Soaring Dragon.
Tsunade and Orochimaru saw a sudden flash—like lightning tearing through the air—and then came the deafening screech of metal against metal, sharp enough to rattle the eardrums.
Blinking through the pain, they turned toward the battlefield—
And saw Hoshiyomi and Hiruzen locked in a deadlock.
To think even Hiruzen Sarutobi could intercept the draw of the so-called godspeed slash.
Tsunade's heart sank.
"Did... did Hoshiyomi fail?"
But Orochimaru shook his head.
"No. If anything, it's the old man's plan that failed. Hoshiyomi's draw was too fast—he blocked the staff before it could make contact. What we're seeing now is a test of pure strength. If Hoshiyomi can push aside the transformed Enma... then this match might still go in his favor."
And indeed, Hiruzen himself was shaken. This slash wasn't just fast—it was ferociously powerful.
He and Enma were exerting their combined strength. And even so, they could barely hold back Hoshiyomi's advance.
This raw strength... it might even rival Tsunade's monstrous blows.
Still, Hiruzen thought, he can't keep this up for long.
With that in mind, he pressed down harder, channeling even more force into the staff. If he could just knock Mikazuki Munechika aside, he'd have an opening to counterattack and end the duel.
He succeeded in the first step—forcing the blade off-angle.
Even the usually composed Third Hokage allowed a small smile to form on his face.
Looks like this old dog's still got it.
As long as he could land this strike, the victory would be his.
Raising the staff overhead, he prepared to bring it down on Hoshiyomi's shoulder—
But something unexpected happened
An invisible giant hand seemed to grab his Staff in the air, halting his attack in place, unable to move even an inch further.
What's going on?!
Hiruzen looked around, confused. There was nothing—no obstruction, no enemy jutsu—nothing visible at all.
Then his eyes narrowed, and he focused on the space between him and Hoshiyomi.
And in that instant, his expression completely changed.
This slash... it's affecting space itself?!
Even if Hiruzen hadn't mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique, he was still a Professor of Ninjutsu—a master of chakra theory. He was well-versed in the principles of space-time jutsu.
And now, what he sensed before him was spatial distortion.
This strike from Hoshiyomi had momentarily warped the very fabric of space.
It couldn't be seen with the naked eye, but the impact was real—and devastating.
Because the space between them had warped, Hiruzen's attack, caught within that distortion, had frozen in place—unable to reach its target.
It lasted only a moment—but a moment was all Hoshiyomi needed.
Across from him, Hoshiyomi slammed his foot into the ground, the impact forming a deep crater beneath his heel.
With that step, he spun his entire body, channeling his full force into one final slash.
The twisted space had just begun to stabilize—but it was too late.
Hiruzen couldn't raise the staff fast enough.
Mikazuki Munechika crashed into his torso, sending him flying.
Hoshiyomi had held back. This was a spar, not a battle to the death.
He didn't strike with the blade's edge—but the flat of the sword. Had he used the cutting edge, Hiruzen would've been dead on the spot.
Still, even a blow with the blunt side was no joke.
After sheathing his sword, Hoshiyomi rushed over. He found Hiruzen lying on the ground, groaning beside Enma.
"You little punk," Hiruzen grunted, clutching his ribs. "You damn near broke three of them."
As Hoshiyomi helped him sit up, Enma gave his partner an unimpressed glare.
"You've got some nerve saying that! My injuries are much worse than yours. My jutsu is called 'Adamantine,' not truly 'indestructible.' Good thing I didn't take that last strike head-on, or I might have lost my life."
And indeed, Enma was in worse shape. Having taken most of Mikazuki Munechika's blows directly, even his vaunted Adamantine body was covered in tiny, precise cuts.
Tsunade quickly ran over. After checking Hoshiyomi's body to ensure he was fine, she turned to treat Hiruzen and Enma, making Hiruzen puff out his cheeks in annoyance but also helplessness.
While tending to them, she looked at Hoshiyomi with a raised eyebrow.
"Tell me the truth. Are you really stronger than the old man now?"
Hoshiyomi scratched his head, a little sheepish.
"Not really. The Third didn't use any high-powered ninjutsu, and I got lucky that he didn't know how my sword techniques work. Now that he's seen them, if we fought again... I probably wouldn't win."
Hiruzen, hearing the first half of Hoshiyomi's statement, looked thoroughly pleased, as if the beating hadn't been in vain. But upon hearing the second half, his face changed completely like a Sichuan Opera mask.
He scrambled up from the ground, waving his hands.
"Nope! No second fight! Whether you break through today or not, this was your one and only sparring match with me. I'm not taking another beating like that. I've still got grandkids to think about!"
He rubbed his ribs and grumbled,
"If I fight you again, I might not live long enough to hold them."
Then, as if on instinct, he scanned Hoshiyomi's chakra flow.
He froze—then smiled in satisfaction.
"Good. You've broken through. We won't have to spar again."
At those words, both Tsunade and Orochimaru turned sharply toward him, eyes wide.
Hoshiyomi immediately opened his Sword Heart System to confirm.
And there it was:
Congratulations, host! You've advanced to Master-Level Swordsmanship.
Current EXP: 0/500
Skills Available to Draw: 1